Mentioned in this article
- The Fortnite Champions Series will begin with the game’s next in-game season, which starts on August 1.
- The competition will offer millions of dollars in prizing and be based around an online leaderboard.
- This past weekend’s Fortnite World Cup awarded $30M USD between Solo and Duos competitions, as well as $3M in a Creative mode competition.
During the Fortnite 
World Cup this weekend, Epic Games announced the next stage in the battle royale shooter’s competitive push, the Fortnite Champions Series (FCS).
Briefly detailed by commentator “Sundown” during the broadcast, the Fortnite Champions Series will have millions of dollars at stake, and will be based around an online leaderboard system in which “every single result matters” during the season.
He also said that the Fortnite Champions Series would be “just a taste of what’s to come” from the game’s future competitive scene. The FCS is set to begin during Fortnite’s 10th in-game season, which kicks off on August 1.
In May, original Overwatch League commissioner Nate Nanzer departed Activision Blizzard to join Epic Games, where he is now overseeing Fortnite’s esports efforts. Epic Games also acquired Psyonix and its Rocket League Champions Series in May, and the FCS naming may signal some effort to unite the branding between those esports initiatives.
Related Article: Fortnite World Cup Eclipses Half a Million Viewers on Twitch During Sunday Finale
The Fortnite World Cup awarded $30M USD split between its Solo and Duos competitions, each of which featured 100 players, and also gave out $3M during a Creative mode competition.
Epic Games promised $100M towards Fortnite competitive prize pools during the first full year, and according to Esports Earnings, about $71.5M has been awarded to date in Fortnite events. Earlier this year, the company said that it would continue to host weekly $1M tournaments throughout the rest of 2019, but we’ll have to wait for further details on the Fortnite Champions Series to see if that approach has shifted at all.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story called the “Fortnite Champions Series” the “Fortnite Championship Series.” The story has been updated with the proper name.
